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Bringing the farmhouses of Belgium to the tobacco barns of Kentucky, the Country Boys devise a peppery dry taste with fruit undertones, pay homage to the like-minded rural brewers a continent away.

With a pinch of "hell yea" here and a dash of "by God" there, the zesty ale opens with a semi-spritzy appearance that might remind you of champagne. But as the heartier malt components of the ale shines, so does its cotton and heady froth. Capped by a creamy foam stance, the ale nearly retains its head the whole session as it laces lightly on the glass.

With proportions in tact, the beer leads with a peppery spice that's largely of white pepper and earthy cumin. Backed with the supple dry bread and yeasty character of malt, the ale is well supported and light on sweetness. Complements of fruit remains secondary and peak through with apple, lemongrass, and lemon pepper to close.

Medium-light on body, the carbonation dissipates rapidly- this allows the beer to seem bright and vibrant early but leads to a sill weight nearly half way through the glass- giving the beer a cumbersome finish.

From a brewery that seldom dips their toe into the Belgian world, this often-gotten-wrong style has merit. I just need more dryness and effervescence to compete with those Belgian Country Boys.

A: Pours a cloudy gold with a thin white mousse. Head retention is so-so. Lacing is minimal.

S: Aromas of white pepper, spicy yeast, clove, banana, biscuits, lemon, lime, and herbs are present on the nose. To me, this does not smell all that much like a typical saison. It smells more like a hoppier-than-average Bavarian weissbier that has been brewed with Belgian saison yeast.

T: Notes of banana and clove are immediately noticeable, chased by notes of grass, straw, green apple, lemon, lime, minerals, spicy yeast, white pepper, biscuits, and herbs. The finish is peppery and prickly with white pepper, spicy yeast, green apple, and citrus notes becoming more pronounced and then undercut by a sharp hit of alcohol.

M: Deceptively slight in the mouth and very dry. Carbonation is fairly intense. Alcohol is initially restrained, but grows more pronounced toward the end of the fade. Odd and a little more difficult to drink than I was expecting.

O: Country Boy Brewing does not often venture into the world of Belgian beers and this beer is a reflection of that fact. For someone who is a huge fan of saisons and has studied the style fairly extensively, this one misses the mark. It is not a truly bad beer. In fact, it is fascinating and oddly likable in its own right, but to me, it still does not display the character of an authentic Wallonian saison. The odd weissbier-like character is distracting and the body is a bit too slight, especially for an ale of this strength. In the end, Saison du Clifton is interesting and has plenty of potential, but it is likely not one of the best saisons one will encounter, and is definitely not this brewery's best effort.